Created by Jack Barnao
Pseudonym of Ted Wood
(1931-2019)
Former SAS counter-terrorism expert (he served in Belfast, Ulster, Rome and London, and was involved in the storming of the Iranian embassy), JOHN LOCKE grew bored with army life and returned home to Toronto to set himself up in business.
His business cards read “John Locke, Physical Assurance” and that’s what he provides, a high-priced bodyguard for people “too rich or too busy to look after themselves.”
But what he really does is act like a private eye, more than anything else. A private eye at war, maybe, putting a little too much fondness for his lovingly-described Walther PP Super 9mm, perhaps (are we sure he’s Canadian?), but a P.I. nonetheless.
Locke grew up a spoiled rich kid in Toronto, but somewhere along the line he straightened himself out. He decided he wanted to join the army, but he didn’t feel like joining the Canadian army, where he figured he’d end up putting on a uniform and just sitting on his duff in Saskatchewan, developing cirrhosis. He wanted action — so he went off to Britain and joined their army.
But eventually he tired of the army life, and decided to pursue a life of “travel, adventure and good living.” Military life lacked the latter. He seems to be doing okay in this “Physical Assurance” racket, making enough dough to keep himself in Blue Jays tickets and crossword puzzle books, which he seems to do by the score.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
John Locke appeared in three pulpy, action-oriented books in the eighties written by Jack Barnao, a pen name for writer Ted Wood, a big name in Canadian crime fiction, being one of the first Canadian crime writers to set his books in Canada. He was orn in England, but emigrated to Canada in 1954, where he worked as a police officer for the Toronto police force, and as a copy writer and creative director for a Toronto advertising company. His first novel, Dead in the Water, which introduced northern Ontario police chief Reid Bennett, was published in 1983, and from 1987 to 1988, Wood served as president of the Crime Writers of Canada, which had only been around for a few years at the time.
NOVELS
- HammerLocke (1986) | Buy this book | Kindle it!
- LockeStep (1987) | Buy this book | Kindle it!
- TimeLocke (1991) | Buy this book | Kindle it!
FURTHER INVESTIGATION
- I Could Be Your Bodyguard (Hey!)
Personal Security Specialists - Ontar-ari-ari-o Eyes
Eyes from Canada’s Second Largest Province
Report respectfully submitted by Kevin Burton Smith.
